SAAD Caraga-aiding farmers receive abaca and banana inputs

CARAGA, June 21, 2023 – Aiding 125 abaca and banana farmers in time for land preparation and signaling official beginning of their journey under the program, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development Program (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 2 in Caraga delivered Php 3,056,150 worth of farm inputs to Agusan del Norte (ADN) and Surigao del Norte (SDN) covered areas.

On June 6-7, 2023, the DA-SAAD headed by the Regional Field Office Caraga distributed initial farm inputs including pesticides, fertilizers, farm tools, and knapsack sprayers, which are components of the Banana and Abaca Production Projects funded under FY 2023. 

The recipients are farmers from the following five (5) FAs in municipalities namely: Remedios T. Romualdez, ADN (2 FAs); and Tagana-an (1 FA) and Sison (2 FAs), SDN, which form part of the 28 FAs assisted by the Program in the provinces of SDN, ADN, and Dinagat Islands.

SAAD Caraga Phase 2 prioritizes municipalities with high poverty incidence (5th and 6th class) per 2018 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority and those severely affected by Typhoon Rai (Odette) in 2021. Of the 28 FAs, two (2) are in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), and another two (2) with members belonging to the Manobo and Mamanwa Indigenous groups.

Table 1. Livelihood projects distributed to 5 farmers’ associations

“Daghang salamat SAAD sa opportunidad nga makatnom aning Lakatan. Limitado lang among nahibaloan ani maong dako among pasalamat kay kompleto ang assistance sa Programa. Adunay training sa grupo, kabahin sa saging, ug karon niabot ning materyales para land preparation,” Mr. Gumatay said.

(Thank you, SAAD, for giving us the opportunity to try out and plant the Lakatan variety. We do not have much experience with this variety. We are thankful that besides the training, we have received various inputs to aid us in our land preparation.)

The inputs were in time for the land preparation activities of the groups before the delivery of their abaca and banana planting materials later this month. Before this, the groups also underwent organizational development and technical training in banana and abaca productions to improve their knowledge and skills in project management and their commodities.###

Writer: Mark Angelo C. Pineda, DA-SAAD Caraga Information Officer